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Events

22 February 2025 10.30 Meeting Room

Jacqueline Aviolet - I am a Tulip This is where I tell everyone via their first name if there are any fruits, vegetables, trees, shrubs, bulbs or flowers named after them. I then tell them how to grow themselves.

This a positive, informative talk, with humour for a cold winters day. And everyone is included. 

My name is Jacqueline and there is a tulip called Jacqueline. I found out There is also a potato called Jacqueline!

A return Visit by Jacqueline Aviolet  who has been a horticultural speaker since the last century and has run her nursery (Rosies Garden Plants, Aylesford, Kent) even longer, growing and selling plants via mail order, some shows and at the talks.   She is known for imparting knowledge with tremendous humour!   Jacqueline will be bringing plants to demonstrate and to sell.

Please E mail David/Cathy to book your place as numbers will be limited as we are in the meeting room

 

22 March 2025 Main Hall @3.00

Lynne Moore of Moore and Moore plant nursery - A Blessing in Disguise  - A shady spot is the perfect place to grow some unusual and beautiful perennials

A Chelsea Gold Medal winning, small, independent, family run nursery based in Billericay, Essex, specialising in shade tolerant and woodland plants  and other plants which are a magnet for pollinating insects, their other love.

Started 2004 and now growing over 1500 different varieties of plants which are sold fairs and shows and through their online shop. Originally a hobby, land is now rented from a local farm where all the plants are grown outside. Plants are grown in peat free compost (Melcourt Sylvagrow with John Innes) and cared for using organic methods.

They became Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) exhibitors in 2017 and appear in the RHS Plant Finder every year. They love plants and find it a  pleasure to work with them. 

Their range includes traditional cottage garden favourites and reliable, easily grown plants they also have an exciting collection of unusual, rare and seldom seen varieties.

Owning a nursery allows them to indulge their own interests somewhat and they have specialities within our ranges.

They are - Astilbe, Astrantia, Athyrium, Dryopteris, Epimedium, Hardy Geranium, Hosta,  Polygonatum and Polystichum.            

 Lynne is the only full time person at the nursery.

Lynne has gardened for as long as she can remember. Her first memories are picking snowdrops from her grandparents garden (snowdrops are still a favourite). Always encouraged by her grandad Jack, her knowledge and enthusiasm grew until such times that she had her own little garden at her first flat. Grandad duly propagated a number of plants to fill this little plot, many of which Lynne still has today in her current garden. "Without my Grandad I wouldn't be doing what I am. I owe him so much." She’s a complete plantaholic who’s always on the look out for something new, different or unusual to grow. Lynne gave up working as a Senior Fingerprint Expert in the Metropolitan Police Forensic Directorate in February 2016 after 25 years service to work with the plants full time. "I love what I do. I'm so lucky."

Self-Drive to Shamley Wood Estate 

Our first self-drive will be to Shamley Wood Estate, Guildford, Surrey, GU5 0SP on 22nd May @ 2.30pm which only opens by appointment.  

A relative newcomer to NGS, this garden is worth visiting just for the setting! Sitting high on the North Downs, the garden enjoys beautiful views of the South Downs and is approached through a 10-acre deer park. Set within approximately 3 acres, there is a large pond and established rose garden. More recent additions include a stream, fire pits, dry garden, heather, cutting garden and woodland walk. There are a number of sculptures to find, including hippos and several pieces of driftwood art.  

The cost per person will be £9.00 (entrance and tea/coffee and cake). Facilities available.  Let David/Cathy know if you would like to attend and arrange payment of £9.00 by bank transfer, cheque or cash. According to Google Maps the Estate is about 45 minutes from Tadworth via A25.

 Caroline Halfpenny Saturday 4 October 2025 @10.30 in the Meeting Room talking about Garden Design Techniques - the use of plants in Design 

This a return visit by Caroline who talked about scented plants in the garden in 2024 which was a delight to attend and very interesting.

Caroline is passionate about gardening and the landscape, she began her horticultural career with Gravesham Borough Council with responsibility for the Grounds Maintenance Contracts from the Riverside out to Camer Park. In addition she managed to secure the role of Allotments Officer which she loved, as she enjoys growing fruit and vegetables and wandering round allotments was a dream job.  She was guilty of organising the daffodils growing through the verges from Meopham to Gravesend (cheeky as it was her route to work).

She then became a self employed gardener while she completed her degree in Landscape Management and became a Mum.

From 2007 to 2014 she managed the Diploma in Horticulture at Hadlow College at both the Tonbridge and Canterbury site, in addition to lecturing at all levels from schools and Foundation through to Higher Education. She still lectures part time today as well as running Growth Matters , which covers all her loves Gardening and Education.

Barry Newman will be giving a talk on THE MODERN KITCHEN GARDEN on 1 November @ 10.30 at St John's Church, The Avenue,Tadworth,KT20 5AB 

A general talk in three parts, covering the traditional approach to growing vegetables then moving on to container growing for those with limited space and finally to raised bed cultivation which I regard as the modern way ahead for those wishing to grow for the table.

Barry is a well known grower, exhibitor, lecturer and judge.

He is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Fruit, Vegetable and Herb Committee and a former Chairman of the National Vegetable Society.

As well as being a senior NVS judge, Barry serves on the judging and lecturing panel of the RHS he is also a Britain in Bloom judge. 

Barry was formally trained in horticulture at Pershore, York and Bath.

Much of his working life was in local authority amenity provision around the country, retiring in 2005. 

In 2022 Barry was awarded the Kew Guild Medal for distinguished service to the horticultural industry. 

 

Roses Revisited ‘ – the old , the new and what to do’  A Talk by  Gillian Taylor 31 January 2026 Main Hall @ 3.00 pm
This is the story of how Gillian became a lover of Roses so that from having only two a few years ago she has progressed to growing around 250 varieties in her collection. The talk will discuss the diverse types of Rose that are available, where to buy them, how to use them in various garden settings, where to see them, their care, and suggestions for companion plants to use with them.